Blade of the Blossom
by monochromed
Summary: These emotions have not decayed, this blade has murdered no one. 52 flavors of life, each depicting a scene in the days and lives of the black knight and his princess.
1. The Sound He Hated

**Author's blabbering:** Okay… So this is a set of drabbles I've created during the last few months while stuck in my PolSci class. Yes, I support the pairing Kurogane x Tomoyo because they have this weird chemistry that I really like. If you **DON'T** like this pairing, then I suggest you stop reading **RIGHT NOW**. Isn't that why I already posted the pairing up front? I don't need to receive criticisms from those who don't actually know why I'm supporting this pairing. Each of us is entitled to our own opinions and pairings. If there's one thing I hate, it's someone who says my works suck just because they don't like the pairing I support.

I'll be probably be updating this regularly since these are from my entries in **Livejournal's 52 Flavors**.

**Disclaimer: **I don't own Tsubasa: RESERVoir CHRoNICLE nor its lovely characters.

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**The Sound He Hated**

He always had hated her laughter. That annoying, irritating sound she called as laughter. The same laughter that continuously mocked and teased him. The same one she used when she knew she's right, when she'd win over him or even when she's plotting another mischief, to tease him again perhaps. Her laughter meant confidence and strength for him. But it was also that same laughter, that exact melody of life, she uses to try and hide her emotions behind a mask.

It was perfect. No one could notice it. No one could differentiate what was real and what was forced. But he knew; he could see through her. She might not admit it but he knew. He always did.

Many a time, she would laugh that laughter of hers that not once had reached her eyes. But after that joyful sound had faded, another emotion would replace that blank look in her eyes, a familiar and painful one. It was neither anger nor sorrow. Not even devastation. He knew it was hurting her but never had he asked her about it. She would never answer him honestly anyway.

And so, he would keep wondering how one such emotion could affect someone like her so strongly, how she could manage to keep it and hide it and continue laughing without a care to the world. He would never know.

"Why, Kurogane, are you thinking deeply? I must call Souma and tell her that you're sick!" Her melodious voice sliced though his thoughts like a knife and he looked up at her.

She laughed her famous laughter again and he merely grunted and glared in response. Yes, he always had hated her laughter.


	2. No Questions Asked

**Notes: **Pretend it happened even way before Tomoyo sent Kuro-kun to Yuuko's place.

**Disclaimer: **I don't own Tsubasa: RESERVoir CHRoNICLE nor its lovely characters.

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**No Questions Asked**

"_Itai!_ Careful!"

Tomoyo frowned slightly at the tall man beside her, her hand gently holding his injured arm. With an inaudible sigh, she carefully placed it on her silk-covered lap and waved away her attendants. She can do this by herself. She didn't need any help, especially not from her attendants. The man beside her flinched again.

"If you won't hold still, I will not be able to treat your wounds," she told him patiently, picking up the linen and bandages from the small wicker basket. The man said nothing, merely glared at her. "Don't look at me like that. I am not going to poison you."

With that said, she dipped the linen into a silver basin filled with cool water, wringing out the excess, and gently cleansed his blood-stained arms. Unlike most girls, she was never afraid of blood. She had already seen wars and battles devastating the land, taking out people's lives. It was already a common scene for her. When he flinched again, she looked up at him and smiled sweetly, ignoring the scowl on his face.

"Don't be such a baby, Kurogane," she remarked cheerfully, uncapping the medicine bottle effortlessly, and applied the strong ointment carefully. "You're supposed to be my best ninja."

Kurogane stared at her, a mixture of confusion and curiosity swirling in his dark red eyes. "You need not do this, Tomoyo-hime."

"Keep quiet," the young princess chided him softly, her lilac eyes trained intently on his arm. With her light and careful touch, she delicately bandaged his arm, holding it with care like a little girl would do to a porcelain doll. "I want to do this so do not question my actions. Now, hold still."

And he held still for her, hiding a warm smile behind his blank expression.


	3. Deafening Silence

**Notes: **Pretend it happened even way before Tomoyo sent Kuro-kun to Yuuko's place.

**Disclaimer: **I don't own Tsubasa: RESERVoir CHRoNICLE nor its lovely characters.

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**Deafening Silence**

Kurogane was getting mad. Real mad. A headache had slowly built up inside his temples, threatening to crack his skull into two. It was already throbbing in pain; he could already hear the pounding of blood in his ears and the noise inside the chamber wasn't helping him much to relieve the pain. On the contrary, it was getting louder and more annoying. It was then surprising indeed that he hasn't pulled out Ginryuu yet and decapitated each and every chattering man inside the room. The princess would probably have his own head for compensation.

Still though, he wondered why the princess had asked him to accompany her to this meeting when they both knew about his dislike towards noise and chaos. It was probably just another way of her to annoy and irritate him further. He could feel his blood pressure rising just at the thought of it.

When he had finally reached the end of his long-drawn patience, Kurogane straightened from his leaning position on the wall. He decided that he would leave the damned room. He would just have to face the music later on.

But that was before he had met the princess's lavender eyes, inquiring and holding a warning glint: _Where are you going?_

He glared back at her defiantly, ignoring the ramblings of one adviser: _I'm leaving this hellhole and you can't stop me!_

_You're leaving me here?!_ Her eyes narrowed into slits, such a rare occasion that it scared him for a moment.

Kurogane let out an inaudible sigh and stared back at her, his eyes filled with exasperation. He could never understand how she could stand all these arrogant people and keep her cool and composure. _How can you do this anyway? How can you stand these people?_

He saw her avert his eyes for a moment before she smiled back at him, a faint blush staining her porcelain-like cheeks.

_That's because you're here. With me. I can stand anything with you beside me. And besides, I had practice..._

Kurogane raised a dark eyebrow at her, a small smirk forming on his lips. For once, she had admitted that she needed him, although not out loud. That was enough for him.

_Fine. I'll stay with you then._


	4. Lost Voice

**Disclaimer: **I don't own Tsubasa: RESERVoir CHRoNICLE nor its lovely characters.

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**Lost Voice**

"Souma, please tell me why I had sent him away again."

The caramel-skinned ninja blinked and looked up at her princess, quickly and carefully concealing the curious and questioning expression on her face. "He needs to learn what real strength means. He needs to be taught a lesson, Hime-sama."

"Is that so?"

Tomoyo nodded faintly, puzzling the older woman even more, as she gazed intently at the image of her beloved knight and the young mage from the North floating on the surface of the water in her silver basin. She bit her lower lip, clenching her fingers against the stone rim, her breath stirring the water gently. The image didn't disappear, but instead grew clearer. She closed her eyes and fought back a heavy sigh. She was trying hard not to shed a tear.

Pain. It was that unexplainable pain that she had never experienced before. Sharp and constricting, it made her want to tear her heart out. She couldn't understand it. Why does seeing the person closest to her heart happy make her chest hurt?

Souma had almost seen the different raw emotions swirling in her lilac orbs. The feeling of regret, of anger, of sorrow, of despair and desolation. But she didn't understand why she bore those feelings. She was the Tsukiyomi, the most powerful being in Japan. Unless...

"Hime-sama..."

"I'm fine, Souma. There's no need to worry."

The princess smiled at her warmly, bitterness and loneliness reflected in her deep eyes. She turned back to the basin, a lone tear falling into the water, sending ripples across the placid liquid and completely blurring the image of the dark knight.

"Kurogane..."

If it would make him happier, then she would have to let it all go. Her feelings, her heart, her happiness... All for him.

Several dimensions away. Kurogane glanced over his shoulder, surprise and confusion on his face. He was certain he had heard Tomoyo's soft and melodious voice calling to him.

"Kurogane-san?" Sakura gazed at him worriedly. "Is there something wrong?"

The knight shook his head with a frown. "I thought I heard my princess calling for me." His voice was barely a whisper. "I must be hearing things."


	5. Snowflake

**Disclaimer: **I don't own Tsubasa: RESERVoir CHRoNICLE nor its lovely characters.

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**Snowflake**

"Tomoyo-hime, we shouldn't have come here."

Tomoyo waved a hand at the female ninja by her side, stepping lightly from her carriage onto the snowy landscape. No, she did not wish to be inside the palace, tucked away and protected constantly, when her people were being killed. She wanted to be with them.

Everything that the eye could see looked completely desolate, a barren wasteland with the familiar stench of blood in the air. A graveyard. She solemnly closed her eyes for a moment, her hands clenching as if in prayer just below her chin. She whispered a few soft words before she once more opened her eyes, the twinkle disappearing from their amethyst depths, and moved on.

Souma followed her closely as the young princess trudged towards the dark-clad ninja several meters away, her cloak trailing heavily on the snow. Every single one she had passed bowed in reverence to the princess but she merely shook her head, waving a hand. Then, she stopped, her gaze moving to the pristine and fresh snow. A stiff corpse lay at her feet.

Gracefully, she lowered herself on the ground, ignoring the protest of Souma, and let the frozen water soaked her robes and cloak. She placed a pale slender hand on the cold cheek of a motionless young man, his blank eyes staring up at her, and a sharp constricting pain shot through her heart. She clenched her other hand into the icy snow, feeling its coldness stung her bare skin.

"We arrived too late. Those demons had gotten here first."

Kurogane spoke to her quietly, kneeling beside her and passing a hand over the young man's face, closing his eyes forever. His dark clothes were a striking contrast to the paleness of the snow around him. "When we got here, this was what we found. Souma didn't want you to see this but..."

The young princess said nothing, her lavender eyes shaded and her expression hidden behind her dark curtain of hair. Kurogane took her snow-covered hand and placed his over hers, relaxing it, holding it tightly, his warmth slowly melting the cold ice surrounding her delicate skin. He had always stood beside her, always protected her, always witnessed her emotions. Always. He had that privilege.

"But I knew you'd want to know what had happened, am I right?"

No words were spoken. Her actions were enough for him to understand her pain.

Only he saw the lone tear that streaked down her pale cheek, freezing into a tiny snowflake, and fell on the lifeless man.


	6. Taking the Plunge

**Disclaimer: **I don't own Tsubasa: RESERVoir CHRoNICLE nor its lovely characters.

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**Taking the Plunge**

Tomoyo stifled a groan as she continued to stand in front of her court, listening to their reports. She was already tired. Dead tired. Holding the wards around Shirasaki was not a walk in the park. Even with her exceptional magical powers, it was a tedious job. Every part of her body cried in pain and longing for her bed. Oh, how much she wanted to retire in her room and sleep soundly, and yet, she couldn't. She had to finish everything for that day and that includes listening to the reports on her ninja. While standing.

...What were they talking about again?

Kurogane scowled at the distant and glazed look in his princess's eyes, an indication that she was either tired, uninterested or bored. He noticed her blinking slowly, her eyes going out of focus. She was tired, all right.

He sighed inwardly at her stubborness and rolled his eyes at her. That was just normal, her being stubborn. She would not rest, not even take a break, until she had finished all her tasks. She was taking her job as the Tsukiyomi to another level. As long as she could stand, she would. As long as she could hold the wards, she would. It was almost as if she didn't care for herself anymore.

"Are you still listening, Tomoyo-_hime_?" he called rather loudly and rudely for her attention. He had always been impolite when it comes to the princess and he knew it was always irked Souma and the court.

The young princess looked at him, blinking rapidly. "Why, of course, Kurogane. I've been listening to you right from the start. Are you not paying attention to yourself?"

Kurogane muttered darkly under his breath. Princess Tomoyo sure had the ability to turn things around if she wanted to. Of course, the dark ninja didn't believe her at all. He was scowling at her sleepy expression, still wondering why she didn't bother to dismiss him and retire already. Was she thinking of dying like a martyr? He was just about to call her for attention once more when he noticed Souma rushing just behind the princess, carrying an armful of scrolls.

"Souma, be careful—"

The warning came late though as the caramel-skinned ninja collided head-on with the motionless princess who staggered then slowly fell, her eyes blissfully shut. A ruckus erupted in the room but Kurogane had shut his mouth and merely caught the princess in time before she hit the floor. He had barely registered the fact that she was asleep and when he did, he scowled at the peaceful expression on her face.

Souma, dropping everything from her arms, quickly rushed towards the ninja's side, looking on worriedly at the girl in his arms with the rest of the court. "_Hime_..."

Kurogane hushed her, brushing away the stray locks from Tomoyo's face, absently tracing her cheek with a slim calloused finger. His gaze softened considerably as a small smile lit up her face as if she was having a good dream. She was so soft, so warm and...

"She's as stubborn as ever," he growled quietly as he stood up, carrying Tomoyo's light form in his arms. He glared at Souma, hiding a small relieved smile. "And next time, do be careful, Souma!"

The female ninja merely smiled at him.


End file.
